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What are the grade point average (GPA) and other requirements to keep my award in college?Once in college, Oklahoma's Promise students must meet the following requirements to maintain their eligibility for the award:

Beginning in 2012-13, all Oklahoma’s Promise students in college must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements set by the college to be eligible to receive federal financial aid. This requirement applies to all Oklahoma’s Promise students, whether or not they are currently receiving federal financial aid and regardless of the year they started college. The SAP requirements include minimum GPA standards and minimum standards for completing courses in which the student enrolls.

Effective for Oklahoma’s Promise college students receiving the award for the first time in 2012-13 and thereafter, a minimum college GPA of 2.0 will be required for courses taken through the sophomore year and a minimum 2.5 GPA will be required for courses taken during the junior year and thereafter. Students not meeting the required grade point average requirements will lose eligibility for the Oklahoma’s Promise award. Students are responsible for understanding how the minimum GPAs are calculated and when the award benefits will be lost. The details are explained in the program rules below:

Any Oklahoma’s Promise student with a cumulative grade point average of less than 2.0 upon the completion of sixty (60) earned semester credit hours, or its equivalent, shall permanently lose eligibility for program benefits. The cumulative grade point average at the end of the enrollment period during which the student completes their sixtieth (60th) earned semester credit hour, or its equivalent, shall be calculated by the institution in which the student is enrolled to determine compliance with this provision. The institution shall notify the OSRHE if the student fails to meet this requirement.

To remain eligible for the award, an Oklahoma’s Promise student must also achieve a 2.5 cumulative grade point average for courses taken after the completion of sixty (60) earned semester credit hours, or its equivalent. The first check of this grade point average requirement will be conducted by the institution in which the student is enrolled at the end of the enrollment period during which the student completes their ninetieth (90th) earned semester credit hour, or its equivalent. The grade point average calculation shall include all earned semester credit hours, or their equivalent, starting with the enrollment period immediately following the enrollment period during which the student completed their sixtieth (60th) earned semester credit hour, or its equivalent. Thereafter, the institution in which the student is enrolled shall check the cumulative grade point average for courses taken after the completion of sixty (60) earned semester credit hours, or its equivalent, at the end of each enrollment period. Any student whose cumulative grade point average at the required check points is below 2.5, shall be ineligible for program benefits until the cumulative grade point average for courses taken after the completion of sixty (60) earned semester credit hours or its equivalent is raised to 2.5 or above. Any period of ineligibility for failure to meet the requirements of this provision shall count against the student’s maximum time period of award eligibility.

For institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, the student’s grade point average shall be calculated using the methodology defined as “Cumulative Grade Point Average” in the OSRHE policy on grading.

Examples:

1. Mary graduated from high school in 2012 and attended college beginning in fall 2012. After her first year of college, Mary has 46 hours earned, including some concurrent enrollment hours taken during her senior year in high school. She enrolls in 15 hours in the fall 2013 semester. At the end of the fall semester Mary now has 61 hours earned (completed). When all postsecondary grades are included in a cumulative grade point average, Mary has a 1.89 GPA. Because her GPA is below 2.0, Mary permanently loses eligibility for the Oklahoma’s Promise award.

2. George also graduated from high school in 2012. George’s cumulative grade point average at the end of the fall 2013 semester, in which he earns his 60th credit hour, is 2.3. George is eligible to continue receiving the Oklahoma’s Promise award, assuming he is in compliance with the institution’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy. During spring 2014, George enrolls in 18 hours and then takes another 15 hours in fall 2014. George now has at least 90 hours earned and is subject to the cumulative GPA requirement of 2.5 for courses taken after the completion of 60 hours. George has a 2.4 GPA calculated on all the hours taken during the spring 2014 and fall 2014 semesters. George loses the award until his GPA on hours taken after the completion of 60 hours reaches or exceeds 2.5.

Oklahoma’s Promise students must also meet any other requirements for “good academic standing” established by the college in which they are enrolled. BACK TO QUESTIONS

The amount Oklahoma's Promise is paying is different than what my college says I owe for tuition. Why?Oklahoma's Promise pays full tuition at public institutions and a portion of tuition at private institutions. If you are attending a public college or university and the amount shown on your bill is higher than the Oklahoma's Promise tuition rate, most likely the institution has combined tuition and fees on your bill. Oklahoma's Promise does not cover the fees. To be sure, it is best to speak with your financial aid or bursar’s office. BACK TO QUESTIONS

Where is my money?The Oklahoma's Promise award is paid to the institution on behalf of the student. In order for the institution to get an accurate amount for your Oklahoma's Promise award, they must know the final number of hours you are enrolled in for the semester. They will bill the Oklahoma's Promise office sometime after the first drop/add period, which is usually about two weeks after the semester begins. Before they can determine your award, they must know that you are an Oklahoma's Promise student; if you have not told them, they may not know. If your award is not showing up on your account, please check with the appropriate office on campus (probably financial aid or the bursar) to make sure they know you are an Oklahoma's Promise student. Depending on the policy of the institution, the Oklahoma's Promise may be applied as a credit to your account or you may be required to pay the amount up front and be reimbursed when the Oklahoma's Promise payment arrives. Check with your school to determine what their policies are. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I’m getting married. Will I still be able to receive Oklahoma’s Promise?Marriage will not affect your eligibility for Oklahoma's Promise. However, the Oklahoma's Promise office would appreciate information about any name or address changes so that we have your most current information on file. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I am not doing well in a couple of my courses this semester, and I need to drop them. This will put me below full-time status. Am I going to lose the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship? Do I have to reimburse Oklahoma's Promise for the tuition of the dropped class(es)?Oklahoma's Promise encourages students to enroll full-time in order to graduate on time. However, it is not required. You can still receive your Oklahoma's Promise scholarship if you are enrolled part-time (but your five-year period of scholarship eligibility will not be extended). You must be very careful about dropping any courses because this may cause you not to meet your institution's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. If you fail to meet the SAP standards, you can lose your eligibility for the Oklahoma's Promise award. You will not be required to reimburse Oklahoma's Promise for the dropped classes.BACK TO QUESTIONS

I had a really rough semester, and my grades are not so great. What if my federal financial aid is suspended? Will I also lose my Oklahoma's Promise award?Yes. Beginning in 2012-13, if you lose your eligibility for federal financial aid, you will also lose your eligibility for the Oklahoma’s Promise award. Oklahoma’s Promise students in college must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements set by the college to be eligible to receive federal financial aid. This requirement applies to all Oklahoma’s Promise students in 2012-13 and thereafter, regardless of whether they are currently receiving federal financial aid and the year they started college. The SAP requirements include minimum GPA standards and minimum standards for completing courses in which the student enrolls.BACK TO QUESTIONS

I attended Oklahoma College “A” in the fall and am transferring to Oklahoma College “B” in the spring. Will Oklahoma's Promise transfer, and if so, what do I need to do?You should contact the financial aid office at the institution to which you are transferring (in the scenario above… Oklahoma College "B") and let them know you will be attending their school and that you are an Oklahoma's Promise student. Unless you are having problems, it is not necessary to contact the State Regents’ Oklahoma's Promise office in this situation. We will find out where you are attending when the college sends us a bill for your tuition. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I’m planning to attend college out of state for a year and then return to Oklahoma. Can I still get Oklahoma's Promise?Yes. Though you cannot receive the Oklahoma's Promise award for courses taken at an out-of-state college, you can receive the award if you later return to Oklahoma for college. However, your five years of eligibility will begin with your first semester of postsecondary education whether you receive Oklahoma's Promise or not. For example, if you start at an out-of-state university the fall semester following high school graduation, your five years begins then. If you stay there for a year and come back to Oklahoma the next fall, you will have only four years left of Oklahoma's Promise eligibility, or until the completion of your bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. If all of your out-of-state credits transfer back to your Oklahoma college, you should still have time to complete your degree. When you transfer back to Oklahoma, you will need to notify the financial aid or scholarship office at the college you plan to attend that you are an Oklahoma's Promise student, and send a copy of your transcript to the Oklahoma's Promise office. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I started college in the fall after I graduated from high school and attended for a year. However, I did not attend the second year after high school. Now I want to go back again. Can I still use Oklahoma's Promise?Yes. Although we encourage you to stay in school and complete your degree, we realize that sometimes there are unavoidable interruptions. Once you start postsecondary education (any education after high school), your five-year time clock starts ticking. The year that you do not attend will count against your five years of scholarship eligibility; however, you can use Oklahoma's Promise again until your eligibility expires. Please contact the Oklahoma's Promise office for an exact date of eligibility expiration if you are unsure. (Limited exceptions to the five-year limit can be considered only if the interruption is due to certain hardship circumstances such as illness, injury, military service or other extraordinary situations. Please contact the Oklahoma's Promise office for more details. In no circumstances may an Oklahoma's Promise student receive benefits beyond a cumulative time period of five years.)BACK TO QUESTIONS

I would like to attend school during the summer and/or intersession term. Will Oklahoma's Promise help pay for my tuition?Yes, the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship is available for summer semesters, except for the first summer college semester immediately following your high school graduation. Since official Oklahoma's Promise eligibility is not determined until high school graduation, we are not able to process scholarships for the first summer semester. The first scholarships will be available for the fall semester. However, once you are officially verified in our system, you may use the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship in summer semesters and/or intersession terms of later years. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I have completed my bachelor’s degree, and I would like to go on to graduate school. Will Oklahoma's Promise be available to help pay for my graduate school tuition?No, Oklahoma's Promise is only available until you receive your bachelor’s degree or for five years, whichever comes first. Oklahoma's Promise is not available for graduate school tuition if you have already completed your bachelor’s degree. BACK TO QUESTIONS

I have NOT completed my bachelor’s degree, and I would like to take some graduate-level classes. Will Oklahoma's Promise be available to help pay for my tuition?If your university allows you to enroll in graduate-level courses prior to your completion of a baccalaureate degree, you can use Oklahoma's Promise to help pay for the tuition. However, Oklahoma's Promise will only pay at the undergraduate tuition rate; it will not pay at the graduate-level tuition rate.BACK TO QUESTIONS